Volunteer firefighters in north central Victoria are both opposed to Renewable energy plants and transmission lines in your area will let fires burn around you instead of fighting the flames.
Captains from five brigades have written to the National Fire Authority (CFA) and the state government to say they are not prepared to fight fires near or involving infrastructure such as the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector (VNI West).
VNI West is a planned transmission line that would run hundreds of kilometers through Victorian farmland, sparking angry protests from farmers who say they don’t want it on their land.
The line is planned for “over the top of the rainfed agricultural zone, where we have a six-month fire danger period,” Gre Gre Village CFA brigade captain Peter Knights told Daily Mail Australia.
“It gets very dry and hot and we have pretty big fires, which is a barrier for us to attack or fight any grass fires because we can’t move under the transmission lines because the smoke is conductive.”
Volunteer firefighters (pictured) in north central Victoria are so opposed to renewable energy plants and transmission lines that they will let fires burn around them instead of fighting the fires.
“And you run the risk of what we call a flash, where high-voltage electricity will arc toward the ground, and if you’re underneath, it will kill you.”
Mr Knights and his fellow firefighters also oppose VNI West because of the economic value of the land it is planned to traverse.
“They are putting this transmission line and also a renewable energy zone on top of some of the best grain and livestock producing countries,” he said.
“That renewable energy zone should not be on productive agricultural land.”
In addition to CFA Brigades volunteers in Gre Gre Village, Traynors Lagoon, Gooroc, Callawadda and Wallaloo East, the group said it had also “received commitments from 19 other affected brigades”.
In a statement, the group said it is also “looking to rally the support of many more to either join our proposed action or take their own variation of action.”
“We see the imposition of all this infrastructure and our requirement to protect that asset that has been imposed on us, (which) will divide our communities,” Knights said.
He denied the group is driven by an anti-renewables agenda, saying VNI West is being placed “in the wrong area and imposing additional risk.”
‘There is no political alignment with this group, but there will be political beliefs or thoughts within the individual members.
“We’re not saying we’re pro-nuclear or pro-coal, but we’re certainly saying that wrong-place renewables are a bad idea and have really been foisted on us without proper consultation.”
Knights stated, however, that the use of renewable energy is “only a short-term solution.” We are installing wind turbines that have a useful life of 25 years… and after that?’
He denied that the group is funded by fossil fuel sponsors.
“We are five very small fire departments of locals and our budget is self-financed, because it doesn’t cost us much to raise our hand and say we’re not going.”
The group’s objective is to achieve ‘at least a genuine discussion about what is expected of volunteers and the impact on the communities where these things are placed.”
Knights said his campaign also aims to ensure that the areas where the VNI West is proposed to pass through are protected and can attract people to live there in the future.
The line is planned for “over the top of the dryland agricultural zone, where we have a six-month fire danger period,” Gre Gre Village CFA Brigade Captain Peter Knights said. The affected firefighters appear in the photo.
“You’re looking to perpetuate your area as a good place to be and it’s pretty difficult if no one wants to live there because there’s a tick, tick, tick of a wind tower over your head, or it’s just a totally different place to be than what you think.” has been,” he said.
CFA Deputy Director Brett Boatman said they are working with “members on issues related to fighting fires near transmission lines and renewable energy resources, such as solar farms and battery energy storage solutions.”
“The concerns of our CFA members have been heard and we are working with them to ensure the correct information is available,” Boatman told Daily Mail Australia.
“CFA recognizes community concerns and respects our members’ rights to participate in issues relevant to their local communities.”
